Succession
by xT-Zealot
Summary: When Karis's condition takes a startling turn, Amiti must face the fears that he had silently held for their relationship and their future together.  Oneshot.


**Author's Note:** Like that one Eoleo/Himi friendship fic, this one has come from a sudden idea that demanded my attention and a very full Word document. I had always thought that Matthew/Sveta would be my main favorite pairing but, funnily enough, more and more it seems like Amiti/Karis. Should probably think of devoting more time for Matthew/Sveta one of these days but for now, you get this fic!

Nothing really to say other than that things won't appear as they seem. Let's see how many people I can get. As for any warnings that are to be had…there may be some fluff. Cause lol, fluff.

Don't let that scare you though. Get to reading!

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

As he waited for the latest session to end, Amiti felt as if he was going to lose it. While he paced outside the door, the King of Ayuthay felt his back muscles tense and start twisting into a mass of knots. His heart pounded against his chest, his breathing was slow and heavy, and it was only now that Amiti realized that he was unconsciously curling and uncurling his fingers into fists. He tried to calm himself down.

"How did this happen?"Amiti asked himself for the thousandth time.

And for that same number of times came the response of, _That's a stupid question; you know _exactly_ how it happened._

Anger at himself, worry for Karis, and outright fear and confusion for their future caused a couple more knots to twist into his back. Stress at the amounts which he had never experienced before welled up inside of him and when his hands became fists, he nearly give in to the urge to let some of it out. Fortunately, a reminder of who was behind the door and who would become upset if they heard allowed Amiti to control himself. Instead, Amiti placed his hands against a nearby wall, his forehead touching the cool stone surface as he tried to just calm down.

He found it impossible and the Mercury Adept thought back to seven months ago.

It had been a simple sprain; that was it. That was all it was _supposed_ to have been. For some simple fun and to test how their abilities have improved, Karis had challenged him to a match. Having no qualms in partaking in such entertainment, he had willingly obliged her.

During their friendly spar, a clever use of Mercury psynergy had Karis slipping and falling on a patch of ice. Amiti had laughed at first until Karis looked up at him with a pained expression on her face, gingerly holding her ankle. He stopped laughing immediately. Coming to her side, expressing his sincere apologies with a hundred sorries per second, Amiti had sought to repair the damage with a different use of Mercury psynergy.

Locating the sprain and healing it had been the easy part. But it was what he found during his examination that caused the terror that gripped him then and what was absolutely throttling him now.

He hadn't told her then. Wanting to be sure of what he had discovered, Amiti had called on the best that Ayuthay had to offer to examine Karis. With the first two examinations, she had believed that it was just an overreaction to her sprain. Reaching half a dozen, however, had her forcing him to tell her. And he did.

Amiti was still haunted by that look on her face at the revelation.

Ayuthay's best at healing and medicine had been keeping an eye on Karis every day for the months afterward. And even then Amiti thought it wasn't enough. As Karis's condition progressed, Amiti finally turned to Imil, sending over a dozen of summons. Mia finally answered and Amiti thought that he'd be relieved at having the legendary healer of the Warriors of Vale watching over Karis.

He was proven wrong. In fact, it was Mia's exceptional abilities that allowed her to find what everyone else had missed.

_That_ discovery caused Amiti's breathing to become more difficult, all but gasping now.

It was Mia that was in the room right now with Karis, doing a triple check to make sure that her find was in fact accurate. She had told Amiti that she was positive after her second look but he had pleaded for a third. He just needed to be sure. He just…

In hindsight, he had known in his heart that this would happen. He really shouldn't be so tortured by it as he had to know that this was inevitable. But it was actually happening now and all of his fears were assaulting him. Smothering him. And he just didn't know how to handle this. Especially with the turn that had just been taken.

_Maybe Mia's wrong,_ Amiti thought desperately. _Maybe she had made a mistake the first two times and she'll see it the third time. Karis couldn't possibly be-_

As if on cue the door opened and it took nearly every ounce of control for Amiti to not whirl around and start demanding answers. Instead, he just focused on settling his breathing and heart rate before slowly turning around once he heard the door close again.

Even with over thirty years having passed since her quest for the Elemental Lighthouses, Mia still looked as if she was in her late twenties at most. Thus, she was still a lovely woman and Amiti wondered if her exposure to the Golden Sun would cause her to remain at this age. Clad in the robes of the Mercury Clan, her blue eyes matching the same-colored hair that framed her face pale face and cascaded down her back, the best way that Amiti could describe the healer of Imil was serene. Unlike Isaac and Garet who were considered as true warriors, Mia was a healer first and foremost and was more than willing to settle into these peaceful times. While her friends and comrades stationed themselves upon Goma Plateau to watch over the ever-changing world, Mia had been content to resume her duties in Imil and start a family of her own.

And when Amiti's parentage had been revealed, Mia had taken the young king as one of her own, becoming the mother that he had never known. He relied on her now more than ever and not just for her healing abilities but for her advice.

Right now though, he just wanted answers. Thinking that he had properly composed himself, Amiti looked her in the eye and asked, "What are the results?"

Having kept her face calm and unreadable when she walked in, the question caused her look to transform to that of an apology. Mia knew how Amiti felt about the situation and she knew he would not take it well. Just seeing that apologetic look caused Amiti's heart to stop.

"The results have not changed," she informed him. "It's the same as it was the last two times."

Amiti couldn't help but further question with, "Are you sure?"

This time the corners of Mia's lips turned towards a frown while her brows lowered in a sign of annoyance. Amiti winced at that. Though like a mother to him, Amiti was surprised that Mia had taken his constant pestering so well but it seemed like even her vast supply of patience was becoming tested. He couldn't blame her, especially as his treatment of the palace's staff during this crisis was borderline tyrannical and made him wonder if he was going to have to deal with a rebellion in his own home soon if things kept up.

Nonetheless, Mia calmly replied, "Positive."

Amiti's mouth kept moving without his permission. "Maybe I should take a look. I discovered it first so maybe-"

"Amiti," Mia interrupted sternly. "While you do possess healing abilities sufficient for anyone of the Mercury Clan, I would like to kindly point out that my powers in this field are far more advanced than yours and I have been at this for far longer. After three examinations I can, without a doubt, say that the results remain the same."

Silenced by her rebuke, all Amiti could do was nod silently while his world crumbled all around him.

_So it's true,_ Amiti thought. His heart resumed beating around inside of his chest and his throat was forced into an invisible stranglehold. _It's happening. It's really happening. What am I going to do? What are _we _going to do? I don't know how…I can't…_

"Amiti!"

Though Amiti had no recollection as to how he got there, Mia's call woke him up to the fact that he was now on the floor, his back against the wall while Mia's face hovered in front of his, looking at him worriedly.

"I'm fine," Amiti assured even though he most certainly wasn't. "I'm okay. I'm just…" Trailing off, he forced himself to take slow, deep breaths while his hands came up and rubbed at his eyes. He hadn't gotten a decent night of sleep ever since this whole thing started.

Dropping his hands, he looked up at Mia. He felt lost, confused, and that was probably what she saw on his face when he spoke, "…I just don't know what to do."

Mia didn't reply, not with words anyway. Instead, she leaned forward in order to take Amiti into her arms and give him a tight embrace. Amiti returned it gladly, gripping fistfuls of her robe while his face pressed against the fabric. Having lacked a mother his entire life, Amiti found such displays of affection to be awkward at first. Under Mia's care, the younger Adept had learned to treasure such embraces that offered the love and comfort that he had missed when he was young.

It helped calm him but when he finally pulled away and looked at Mia, the feeling of being lost did not lessen. What was he going to do?

This time Mia did answer. "You need to tell her. All these examinations are just exhausting her and making her worried. She already thinks that something has happened and you need to tell her the truth."

The idea of doing that frightened Amiti greatly and he was reminded of when he first told Karis the truth. Those purple eyes he'd come to love widening in shock, her mouth agape as words failed her. She had been completely still and silent with Amiti desperately wishing that she would say something as the seconds ticked by. The wait had been unbearable and when she did break her silence…

But as much as he didn't want a repeat of that, Amiti knew that Mia was right; Karis had a right to know. Nodding his head to not only assure Mia but also himself, Amiti spoke, "You're right. It's my duty to tell her the truth and that's what I'm going to do."

He needed assistance though as his legs had immediately turned to jelly in the face of that decision. Thankfully, Mia was there to help. Taking his arms, she helped him to his feet and made sure he stayed that way when his legs started to wobble.

"It'll be all right," she whispered in his ear, placing one hand on his back to help guide him towards the door. "Everything will be fine."

Though Amiti nodded to her words, he didn't believe them. Nonetheless, he allowed her to bring him to the door and before he knew it, his hand was on the handle and he was applying the force needed to push it open.

"Good luck," Mia whispered and the feel of her hand vanished.

When the door closed, Mia was no longer with him. Instead, Amiti found himself sealed in a room with an angel.

Karis must've been exhausted as sometime between Mia leaving the room and him entering, she had fallen asleep. Amiti found this to be a relief as it not only meant a delay from their talk but it also gave him plenty of time to simply admire her.

If he was to be honest with himself, Amiti would've originally thought that a girl with green hair would've looked ridiculous. That would've been before Karis though. Ever since she had come into his life, he had learned to adore those green locks and became possessed with the constant desire of running his fingers through them. With her purple eyes that he would occasionally become lost in, it was an unusual but exotic match that made her all the more beautiful to him.

Usually tied in a ponytail, Karis had decided to keep it down during these past months. With her head resting against the pillow, those green locks were now splayed around her head and shoulders with a select few bangs having drifted over her face. Those bangs waved gently in the air as Karis slept soundly, her breathing making them do so as air passed through those lips he had tasted numerous times.

Though she had always been loathed to wear them, Karis was dressed in a very expensive gown that matched her eyes while precisely-cut emeralds glittered in the light. While he admired her, Amiti finally focused on her arm that lay at her side. It was on her hand and her one finger that he saw the golden band that he had given her when he asked if she would forever be his and she had accepted.

How did he get so lucky?

Amiti realized his poor choice of words as soon as he thought them. Luck. Funny thing about luck and the king found himself looking to her other hand and where, exactly, it was resting.

It reminded him of what he came to do. Steeling himself, Amiti moved away from the door and went to the bed. The jelly feeling in his legs had mostly passed but when he did reach the bed, he was relieved at being able to just sit down on the edge.

Despite the shifting weight, Karis did not even stir. That was fine with Amiti as it gave him a chance to take a closer look at her while she slept. She looked so peaceful and beautiful that Amiti felt his emotions warring amongst themselves. On one hand: love and adoration. On the other: despair.

The desire to touch her hair came to him and Amiti allowed himself to reach down and brush those rogue bangs away from her face. His fingertips ended up brushing along her forehead and while he admired the warmth he felt at so light a touch, he realized his mistake when the contact did cause Karis to stir before those purple eyes opened and immediately locked onto Amiti's blue ones.

The Mercury Adept felt his heart soar when, upon recognizing him, a loving smile slipped across Karis's face. Though only just waking up, she still managed to reach up and grab onto the wrist of the hand that had been at her hair. She tugged it down enough so that, soon, she was able to nuzzle her cheek against the palm of his hand but not before her lips could give a couple of his fingers a soft, loving touch.

"Amiti," she murmured tiredly.

Even with the love and warmth that was taking over him, Amiti felt a pang at how weak she sounded. There were many things that Amiti admired about Karis and it was more than just her physical beauty. Like her father, Karis was smart. Smarter even and Amiti would always be impressed with how much she knew and what she could learn whether it be about psynergy or politics which she had quickly become accustomed to upon becoming his queen.

And paired with that intelligence was strength. Whether it be one of her Plasma spells or a blade, Karis had proven to be effective with either. She could be the calm, scholarly Karis one moment and the fierce, warrior Karis the next. This was not restricted to enemies, however, and Amiti was reminded as to how many times Karis would give a frustrating Tyrell a good zap or a bonk on the head with whatever heavy, blunt object that she could get her hands on.

Amiti loved every angle of Karis's strong personality which was why it was so depressing at times to see her restricted to bed as she was now.

"Hey Karis." Returning her smile, Amiti let his hand rub gently along her cheek before he leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss.

_You have to do it,_ he reminded himself just before he could get lost in the sweetness of her lips. _She needs to know and you need to tell her so do it!_

Though he had no idea how she knew, Amiti had a distinct impression that Karis knew something was troubling him upon kissing her. Though she did not have the power of reading minds like Ivan, Amiti couldn't help but wonder how she could be so attuned to him at times. Maybe that was one of the perks of marriage and just being completely and utterly in love. Whatever the explanation may be, when Amiti pulled away he was able to see the worried look on Karis's face when she stared up at him.

"Are you okay Amiti?" she asked, still trying to shake off the last visage of sleep.

"I'm fine Kar-"

_It's now or never._

"Actually there's something you need to know," Amiti corrected himself.

Karis used the hand with her ring to wipe the sleep form her eyes and all she could make was an intelligible murmur of curiosity.

"It's…" Amiti started and immediately stopped. The words were there but as he tried to voice them out, he felt them bunch up in his throat, completely stuck. "It's… Karis something's happened and…"

At that Karis became a lot more awake. Her eyes seeking to burrow into his mind and find the words themselves, the Jupiter Adept asked, with more insistence, "Amiti, what's happened? Is there something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong!" Amiti immediately assured even though he knew that to be a lie. "Actually there is but…"

That only made it worse and Amiti furiously berated himself upon seeing Karis start to look afraid.

"What's going on?" she asked fearfully and she tried to raise herself on the bed. It was difficult as Karis was struggling with a heavy weight. "Mia has been checking up on me a lot. Has something happened to…?"

She trailed off and while he still refused to look, Amiti knew that her one hand clutched at her middle.

_Just say it!_

The thought of possibly continuing to torture Karis until he did caused Amiti to blurt out, "It's twins!"

Silence. Long, deafening silence.

"…W-what?"

Amiti had closed his eyes upon speaking and hearing Karis's small, shocked voice caused him to squeeze them tight. Forcing himself to sound calm and firm he repeated, "It's twins. You're going to give birth to twins."

After another moment of silence, Amiti opened his eyes.

It was the same as when he had first told Karis that she was already a month pregnant. Her eyes were wide with her lips parted to show a face of utter shock. At first she just stared at him, searching his features as if she was looking for hints of him lying. Why would he lie about something like this?

Then she looked down at herself and Amiti forced himself to look as well where the gown did nothing to hide the eight months of pregnancy that Karis was now reaching.

It was one of Ayuthay's healers that mentioned that something may be off about the pregnancy. Though Karis was acting fine – the cravings and the mood swings were all normal despite what Amiti may think otherwise -, physically the healer had privately told Amiti that the child was progressing a bit faster than normal. Already stressing enough as it was, Amiti sent those letters to Mia to have her come to Ayuthay in case something was wrong.

And that was when Mia discovered that Karis was not carrying one child but two.

The surprise on Karis's face had finally vanished but instead of signs of terror like what Amiti felt, what she displayed was the wide smile and bright eyes of pure joy. Caressing her stomach, she was practically giddy at this discovery.

"Twins!" If it was possible, her smile widened even further when she turned to Amiti. "I thought…but I didn't really believe it! When I felt him – they – kick, something made me think there were two! Twins! What did Mia say? Does she know the genders too?"

_Yes, this is exactly like last time, _Amiti thought gloomily.

Ever since the incident, ever since he had healed that sprain and noticed that grouping of cells within Karis's body, Amiti had been frightened and all but dreading of the day when Karis would give birth; the day when he would become a father. As can be plainly seen, Karis did not share his fears.

It was the complete opposite in fact and Amiti was genuinely surprised. He hadn't thought Karis would be this ecstatic about the idea of being a mother. Not his strong, intelligent, and sometimes wild Karis. And yet she was nearly wishing that the baby would be born sooner. The discovery that she would be the mother of two hasn't dampened it but, instead, has her even more excited.

All the while, Amiti was ready to have the heart attack that had to be right around the corner. Like before though, he should've known that this was inevitable. As Ayuthay's king, he not only had a duty to himself but to his people to produce an heir who he would raise and have him continue to rule Ayuthay justly when Amiti would finally step down. It had only been a matter of time before he found a woman he loved and would give him an heir and he should've expected it when he and Karis married.

Except he didn't! When he had decided that he was willing to be with Karis for the rest of his life, it hadn't occurred to him at all that she would be the mother of his children. He had loved her and he always wanted to be with her. Children? It was only upon discovering Karis's pregnancy that the subject was slammed into his face and he wasn't ready for it at all! And now he was to be a parent of two!

"She knows the genders," Amiti finally replied and tried not to sound so dour. "It's to be a girl and a boy."

"A girl and a boy!" Karis repeated excitedly. "One of each! I can't believe it!" Tears actually started to well up in her eyes. "I'm so happy!"

_Of course she is,_ Amiti thought and was secretly ashamed that he wasn't as happy as she was. _She wanted a girl._

When asked, Karis had said that she was hoping for a boy. She thought that, that was what Amiti wanted – to have a male heir – and she had hoped to give him a son if just to make him happy. But Amiti had known that she had secretly wanted a little Karis of her own. This latest development should've made it so that they both got what they wanted.

_Did _Amiti want this?

"What about psynergy?" Karis continued to question. "Do we know if they'll be Jupiter or Mercury Adepts?"

The tears were now sliding down her face and she wiped at them vigorously. Again Amiti felt ashamed of himself. By all rights, he should be as happy as she was. He wasn't. Nonetheless, he focused on answering her question if only to keep himself from dwelling on this. It would work better if the questions weren't about their upcoming children.

"She doesn't know," Amiti replied. "Other than Isaac and Jenna, all of the other Warriors of Vale had children with people that weren't Adepts so it was easy to know that, say, Rief would be a Mercury Adept and you a Jupiter Adept. Children of two different Adepts are still uncommon and I think this will be the first time ever that twins will be involved. She thinks that they will be the same type but…"

"There's a chance that one will be the other," Karis finished. She was practically glowing at the prospect. "Wouldn't that be wonderful? To have a daughter that's a Jupiter Adept! And to have a son that's a Mercury Adept just like his father?"

And that was what finally gave him away. Having been hiding behind hollow smiles and empty wishes, Karis had never known how he really felt about this for so long. But now everything was coming at him too hard and too fast. Twins, Karis's joy at having twins, and now this image that burned into his mind of a small boy that had his hair and his eyes.

"It would be wonderful," Amiti had replied. Except when he said wonderful, his throat had tightened and something strangled and nearly inaudible that _sounded _like wonderful issued from his lips.

That's when Karis realized what was happening. Her brows had rose in surprise and she stared at him curiously. Maybe it was here that Amiti could've recovered and uttered another lie to cover himself up. However, any lie that could've been said did not come to him. His mind had gone blank and his hidden shame made itself known, causing his face to burn. Unable to look at Karis, Amiti's eyes became downcast and, finally he turned his face away from her.

"Amiti?"

There was none of that joy that she had been feeling a moment ago. There was just surprise and worry and Amiti felt his shame double at hearing it. He didn't answer her. He didn't even turn his head back to face her. He just sat there, unmoving.

He felt the bed shift and he berated himself as now he was making Karis trouble herself. Yet he remained where he was and it was only when Karis placed her hands on either side of his face and forced him to turn that he faced her again. Well, not really as his yes remained downcast. A mistake because, due to this position with Karis now sitting up, he was looking directly at Karis's middle and where their children were currently growing.

"Amiti," came Karis's soft voice. "Is something wrong?"

There was and he was looking right at them. Still unable to look at Karis but not wanting to look at her pregnancy, Amiti closed his eyes. Only then did he take a deep breath and reply with, "Yes Karis there is."

"What is it?"

His initial reaction was to lie, to tell her not to worry but something within him was not going to allow it. He had been hiding behind lies for eight months now and he wasn't going to be able to continue anymore.

"I can't do this."

He felt her hands tense at his face and Amiti can only imagine the surprise and hurt that she must now be feeling. It was quite evident in her words when she asked, "What? Why?"

It was far too late to lie now. And even if he could Amiti found that he didn't want to. This was something he needed to say. Did Mia not say that he needed to tell her after all?

"I can't be a father to them. I can't be a parent. I can't have children. I can't do this."

Amiti felt Karis's fingernails press against his cheeks but, otherwise, she said nothing. Not for a long time. And Amiti did not open his eyes, instead leaving himself in darkness so as not to face his wife or their children.

"Amiti, look at me."

He kept his eyes shut and didn't make any motion to do so.

"Amiti, _look at me_."

That time he listened to her because that sudden edge to her tone told him that if he didn't then bodily harm would be inflicted upon him, pregnant woman or not. Raising his head to hers, Amiti opened his eyes to stare into a face that was hurt, confused, and starting to look angry.

"What do you mean you can't?" Karis asked dangerously.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, a part of Amiti was relieved by the fact that her hands were at his face and not his neck.

Though having removed himself from darkness, Amiti failed to bring out the words to answer Karis's question even though he had just said them a moment ago. Saying them, he realized, was not the hard part; it was going to be explaining them.

He tried to explain them now but all he could muster was, "I can't."

Her fingernails were practically digging into his face. "You can't or you won't?"

There was a difference between those two words and Amiti knew it. He also knew that one of them had the potential to doom their marriage if he spoke it.

All he was able to do was repeat, "I can't."

"Okay so you can't." Karis's features, and her grip on him, softened, Amiti having apparently made the right choice. "Why _can't_ you then?"

Amiti had his reasons and had seven months to contemplate them. And his reasons had nothing to do was Karis. She was important to him, the best thing that ever happened to him really, and her upcoming motherly duties did not bother her in the slightest. No, his reasons for being so fearful involved him. Just him.

"You know about my parentage Karis," he started with that first. "I had thought that my mother had conceived me with her own powers only to find out the truth after eighteen years. And then I found out about Alex-"

"They're not going to be his," Karis immediately cut him off, already assuming what he was getting at. "They're going to be yours. Ours. And they'll be destined for great things!"

"But that's the point!" Amiti insisted. "They're going to be mine; the children of a king. They, or at least one of them, will be destined to rule Ayuthay! And both of them will be powerful Adepts!"

And that in itself carried a lot that was required. Despite the circumstances of his birth, Amiti had lived a life as any prince did; pampered and instructed by the many servants and other hired help. With Veriti's passing, Amiti had never had a mother to care for him and with Paithos having been busy ruling Ayuthay which included the rise of hostilities with Kaocho, the then young prince had been raised under the care of maids. Though his people had cared for him and him, them, Amiti had not realized how lonely of an upbringing it was until Matthew and his friends first came and took him away from it all. And then the love that developed between him and Karis…

When he had taken the crown, Amiti did not realize until then how trapped he felt. His duties were important, he knew that, but with his taste of adventure and experiencing the world around him while developing his Mercury powers, there came a restlessness that had plagued him upon his first year as king. It was when Karis had visited him as an ambassador of Kalay that his restlessness was quieted upon first discussing trade relations between Kalay and Ayuthay and, somehow, they came to discuss a relationship between the two of them.

And Amiti always wondered about Karis ever since their marriage. She was the daughter of Ivan and it made sense that she would be meant to continue his legacy by defending Weyard as an Adept. Matthew and Tyrell had both been trained by their fathers with the idea of one day taking up the mantles as Weyard's protectors, after all. Hell, it was only a couple years ago that he, Karis, and the others were stopping the dreaded Grave Eclipse; fighting monsters and Tuaparang agents so that they could save the world from being lost in darkness just like the Warriors of Vale had done. Amiti had always feared that one day the next big threat will arise and, due to his role as Ayuthay's ruler, he would be forced to remain behind while Karis took it upon herself to defend the world.

And just like Karis being Ivan's daughter, Amiti feared that his children would be as conflicted as they were about duties to Ayuthay and duties to the world because of their parents.

When he looked to Karis to see her reaction, he was relieved to see that she had a mask of understanding, her purple eyes issuing sympathy while her fingers gently caressed his face.

"Oh Amiti." With her grip on him, she was able to pull him towards her while she leaned forward to press her lips against his.

For these next few seconds, all of his worries vanished entirely as he became lost in this loving contact. Feeling warmth spread forth within him, Amiti brought his arms up and around Karis, pulling her close as he deepened their kiss. Her lips were sweet and addictive, stray locks of her hair tickling and caressing his face, and her body pressed against him made him warm and comfortable. Amiti was willing to remain this way forever but air – and their discussion still needing a conclusion – caused them to finally pull away.

Doing her best to remain in a comfortable position close to her lover despite the growing twins, Karis lowered her hands so that her arms could wrap around Amiti's neck while her chin rested on top of his shoulder. Here, she was able to nuzzle her cheek against his and all Amiti needed to do was turn his head so that he could plant another, quick kiss on her face.

He loved her. He really did. It was at moments such as these when they were so close and his heart felt so warm and just…_full_ Right now he never could imagine letting go of her nonetheless separate from her for any length of time. And he knew that she loved him just as much.

"Don't sound so dire." To Amiti's surprise, she actually giggled. "Things are different. We will be here for them and we will raise them to be happy and allow them to do what they want. It will be a happy birth for a happy family!"

For a moment, Amiti wondered if it was one of those mood swings again that were responsible for Karis's multiple changes in personality. But hearing her words, whispered so closely to his ear, Amiti felt that months-long terror settle. It was still there, however.

"But…" Amiti pulled his head back so that he could stare into Karis's face again. "…I don't know how to be a father. I've never been one before."

Karis's only reply was another giggle and Amiti immediately found what she saw to be so funny before she even replied, "And you think I've been a mother before? It'll be a learning experience for the both of us Amiti, and I'll be happy to do it with you." She grinned impishly. "If I remember correctly, there was something else that you had taken a lot of _pleasure _learning with me."

Amiti's cheeks reddened. "Um…yes…well…there was that."

"Tyrell and Eoleo can't torment you with that anymore, hm?"

It had been a joke that the two Mars Adepts had taken significant enjoyment with at Amiti's expense. All those years when Amiti had thought that Veriti had conceived her son by herself, it had only been a matter of time before Eoleo had decided that the prince had no idea as to how babies were made. Though Amiti had insisted that he did, it didn't stop Eoleo from making wise cracks about not only a lack of knowledge of how babies were made, but an incapability of having sex due to said lack of knowledge. Upon Tyrell joining in, things got…well…aggravating.

As serious and loving relationships went – and considering Karis's current predicament -, Amiti had learned the intricate of sex long ago. The first being the day they got married in fact.

"And how many times was it?" Karis asked, the grin still wide and absolutely merciless on her face.

Wondering if she was in fact a mind reader, Amiti coughed as the heat only continued to increase on his face.

"And how many times afterwards?"

"I get it Karis!" Despite that, Amiti did wonder as to which one of those times it was where Karis had conceived.

_Shouldn't be hard. Subtract about eight months, figure ouch which was the closest and…_

Oh.

…That had been when they had first decided to do some experimenting.

Something must've clued Karis in because after a moment she exclaimed, "I think I know what you're thinking."

"Are you sure you can't read minds?" Amiti questioned suspiciously.

"You're just that easy." Smiling, Karis kissed his forehead. "But please, you should not worry Amiti. We will make it so that they will become just like their parents."

Amiti grimaced.

Karis smacked his shoulder. "Oh come on, don't take it so-oh!"

Amiti was alert as Karis suddenly wavered and held a hand to her stomach, wondering if she had overextended herself. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently motioned her to lie back down on the bed.

"No." To his surprise, Karis resisted. Gripping his wrists, she pulled them from her shoulders. "Here." She placed them on her stomach.

Amiti felt a jolt go through him upon touching his wife's enlarged belly. His first instinct was to pull away but Karis, gripping his wrists tightly, kept his hands in place. Staring at his hands, Amiti then looked to Karis, confused.

"Wait." She smiled.

He felt it a moment later. Beneath the fabric of her gown, Amiti could feel movement that pressed against Karis's stomach. Startled, again he felt the instinctive urge to pull back but Karis only held his wrists tighter.

"Just wait," she repeated. "And just feel them."

There came more movement but Amiti was able to control himself this time as the twins kicked against their mother. He had never done this before. Though Karis must've been able to feel the movement of the children for some time now, between all the stress, examinations, and his own fears, Amiti had never had the chance to experience such a thing. And now that he was…

He was expecting the terror that had been plaguing him for so long. He thought that the movement would remind him of the upcoming birth and that he would again feel terrified that he was to be a father soon. Except he didn't this time. Instead, as he felt the babies inside their mother, he became curious and he found his hands moving along Karis's stomach. Another shift and another kick followed.

_They're moving quite a bit_, Amiti thought, a bit amazed. _Was I like this?_

He had never thought much about his birth and what it was like for Veriti. But now he was curious, wondering if his mother had been as ecstatic as Karis was about having a child. If she had lovingly awaited his birth despite how his father wouldn't be around for it, treasuring every feeble kick that Amiti would place on her womb. Paithos had said how much Veriti had adored him and the idea of being a parent but, with the lies that surrounded Veriti, Amiti had always truly wondered.

_Things _are _different, _Amiti suddenly realized. _Karis loves them and she'll be here. And I will be here to help raise them to make sure that they'll grow to be strong and smart. Just like us. _

Where previously there would be terror at the thought, when the image of that small boy with blue hair and eyes came to mind, Amiti felt comforted by it. He would have a son and a daughter and he was not afraid by that prospect anymore.

"You seem to feel better."

Looking back at Karis, Amiti could see the smile on her face and how her eyes sparkled with reawakened joy at what she could see as Amiti's acceptance of the twins. Keeping one hand on their children, Amiti raised the other and caressed their cheek.

"Yeah," Amiti agreed and a smile of his own appeared. "I am. I love you Karis."

"I love you too."

"And I will love our children just as much."

Amiti saw the tears once again start to slide down Karis's face and without another word he leaned forward and brought her into another kiss while the twins kicked against his hand one more time.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Author's Note:** It's been a while since I got into something that romantic but I thought I did a good job. That's my opinion anyway; we'll see what the reviews say about it . This was yet another oneshot inspired by a current project – this one being _Sins of the Father_ – where, while pondering about Amiti's thoughts and opinions of his birth and family, I asked myself the question "How would he react to his own children?"

And things kind of took off from there. As for _Sins of the Father_, I do have the latest chapter for it about 80% complete and I should get it done later today to early tomorrow. This is usually the part where I make excuses but with all these delays and the fact that I can't keep to a schedule, I'm done with making excuses. It's sad and unfair to my readers that I just keep pulling out excuses so I'm just going to go with "They'll be updated when they're updated".

It's not that I'm tired of writing, I just have a tendency to get bored with one project and immediately want to move on to another one. And then I get these oneshot ideas that inspire so much…lol. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this and go ahead and post up some reviews!


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